Good morning, Chennai!
⛅ Today’s weather: Sunny weather with some cloud cover.
🧐 Did you know? The Ripon Building, the seat of the Chennai Corporation, is named after Lord Ripon. He was a Governor General of India and was referred to as the Father of Local self-government.
🏗️ Improving Victoria Public Hall
The government announced a plan to bring back the British-era town hall in a new avatar.
What’s it about? The DMK government announced a ₹32.62 crore plan under the Singara Chennai 2.0 initiative to rejuvenate Victoria Public Hall with modern facilities and exhibits. The project will be done by architect Abha Narain Lambah who previously worked on the Opera House in Mumbai and the Bikaner House in Delhi.
- The building is in bad shape due to rising water from the ground level, and the floor caved in. The building also has cracks in the arches and masonry walls.
- The hall will have a new information desk, a museum on Chennai’s evolution, a VIP lounge, and a central hall. The ground floor will have allied administrative offices.
Previous attempts: The first attempt at renovation was in 1967. Then it was in 2009 after the Chennai Corporation took over the property. They cleared encroachments and tried to renovate the hall and repair the tiles and door. The next attempt was in 2016, which was scrapped due to metro rail construction.
🚰 More piped connections
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Metro Water will collect information to offer people piped water connections.
What’s it about? Metro Water wants to prevent groundwater exploitation, reduce heavy vehicle movement, and reliance on tanker lorries. The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) has begun collecting information from residents to offer them piped water connections instead of using lorries.
- The water requirement is currently met by surface and groundwater sources and desalination plants. Out of 100 crore litres supplied in the city, 30 crores is through lorries. 425 lorries are used for this.
- Maintaining groundwater levels has become difficult due to encroachments, rising population, and lack of maintenance of rainwater harvesting systems. The CMWSSB installed monitoring devices in all 200 wards in 2021.
The way forward: Due to complaints about water distribution through lorries, officials are gathering information from residents, apartments, and hotels. Water supply by lorries will reduce, and tap connections will become the norm.
🍲 Amma Canteens in trouble?
A Corporation survey revealed Amma canteens had seen a drop in customers and revenue.
What’s happening? A survey conducted this month showed the canteens in 7 of the 15 zones didn’t meet their sales target. These had an income of ₹18 crores and losses amounting to ₹95 crores in 2021-22. Despite increasing losses over the years and reduced patronage, Mayor R Priya said there are no plans to close the canteens.
- In some canteens, there is leftover food due to a low number of customers. At one canteen in Tondiarpet, it gets 120 people during breakfast hours and only 20-30 during lunch and dinner.
- The survey was done after the Madras High Court directed the Corporation to show data on food provided to people. Since it didn’t have those details, a baseline survey was decided.
Questionnaire controversy: Some women staff weren’t comfortable answering questions on caste and religion which were included in the 21-question survey. Some customers were unhappy when officials asked them about their marital status, so they stopped asking some questions.
🦁 No new lions for Vandalur
Gujarat’s Sakkarbaug zoo rejected Vandalur zoo’s request for a pair of lions.
What’s it about? Vandalur zoo’s request for a pair of pure-bred Asiatic lions from the Sakkarbaug zoo was rejected. The Vandalur zoo has an inadequate number of lions. Two of the six lions have hip dysplasia. The others are old and aren’t fit to breed.
- Over the past five years, the zoo’s lion population has been decreasing. In June 2021, two died of Covid-19. In 2018-19, the zoo had a male-female ratio of 7:9 which was reduced to 7:8 the following year.
- After another death in 2020-21, the population was 14. Over the past two years, the ratio has decreased to 4:5. Officials have now approached the Hyderabad and Tirupati zoos.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you experienced an earthquake?
- Yes, I have experienced an earthquake.
- No, I haven’t experienced an earthquake.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What subject did you have the most difficulty with in school and why?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- SRM Global Hospital uses new-age AI-powered technology to check on patients’ vitals.
- BSNL is struggling to contain thefts of its underground cables looted for their high-value copper.
- Australia’s ODI squad shared advice during a special training session with 50 young players in Chennai.
- Chennai to Coimbatore route will get another day train with a Vande Bharat service next month.
- Here’s a rundown of what the state budget has in store for Chennai.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I have made a purchase based on a social media ad: 63.6% 🏆
- I haven’t made a purchase based on a social media ad: 36.4%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What’s your favourite and least favourite thing about social media?
Parthi: “Favourite – to develop relevant skills. Least favourite – unwanted ads”
Baarath: “Favourite – get to know trendy things that happen around us. Least Favourite – most of my time gets sucked into it.”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!